I try to post a fresh link and reminder about this every so often. It's good to consider other perspectives and strategies, and though we have some similar concerns about the prisons and jails, I'm an abolitionist, not a reformer. Anyone interested in what happened with Marcia Powell, some of the history of the ADC, and the position of other prison activists here should visit the website for Middle Ground Prison Reform. They've been around AZ a long time fielding complaints from prisoners and their loved ones, have some good resources on their site, and have been addressing the ADC, the Governor's office, legislators, and the media on the issue of the prisoner abuse in a thoughtful, articulate, professional manner. They're the folks who filed a formal complaint about the cages two years ago, and - as I've referenced elsewhere - Dora Schriro took no action. We agree that she bears a good deal of responsibility for what happened.
As does Janet.
I do hope New York is paying attention, since that's where Schriro's headed to next.
Here's the link to the letter Donna Hamm at Middle Ground wrote Governor Brewer after the abuse report came out last week. It's worth a read. She also gives a synopsis of issues with the prisons arising from Marcia's death that still need to be addressed - these might be helpful. She's more willing to give Director Ryan a chance than I am, but I suspect they know each other better. We don't all sit at the same table. All I want to do at this point is upend it.
That's why we need people like Donna.
Middle Ground has done a lot of important work, and can be a useful resource. If you want a more rounded picture of what's happening here or want to support in a less radical way, look at what other advocacy strategies are being employed. Check out Middle Ground.
We know that the prison system is a business. It's a profit based business. What we can't do is let the profits increase at the expense of family and friends of inmates. This must be stopped in Az. This profit motive is the worst of all citizen abuse. Those responsible must be stopped.
ReplyDelete956Donna Hamm, your probably already know about them in lewis prison putting a child molester in with the general public and he was killed naturally. But the warden there made the inmates stay on hot cement for over 3 hours, until their shoes were melting and they got severe sunburns. my grandson was one of them. This warden needs to be fired, this is inhumane to say the least. There is much too abuse by the prison systems. It is time to reabilater these men for return to society not cruelty. When does this stop? Thank you so very much for fighting for the inmates a lot of them are in there for drugs as my grandson, it was not a planned killing it was a car accident and we all victims, not just the family but all of us. Janet Willis, john's grandmother.
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